Mauritania’s Constitutional Council on Thursday released a provisional list of six candidates for the 22 June presidential election.
The list includes candidate of the ruling party Mohamed Ould Cheikh Mohamed Ahmed (Ould El Ghazouani), candidate of the National Rally for Reform and Development Sidi Mohamed Ould Boubacar, rights activist Biram Dah Abeid, the opposition coalition candidate Mohamed Ould Mouloud, Kane Hamidou Baba, and Mohamed Lemine al-Mourtaji al-Wafi.
The council affirmed that every candidate has the right to object - before it - on the provisional list on Friday and Saturday.
Earlier, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz ordered to halt all initiates calling for amending the constitutions to open the door for him to run for a third presidential term.
The government also received, in the past days, names of the three representatives of the radical opposition in the independent committee to oversee the elections.
An opposition source indicated that Mauritanian Interior Minister Ahmedou Ould Abdallah received the names, and now the committee consists of 14 members from the ruling party as well as the opposition.
The opposition boycotting the government demanded and received representation at the elections' committee to guarantee integrity and transparency.
However, it still asks for the attendance of international observers and for providing adequate conditions for local monitors to supervise the elections and revise the electoral lists and the administration’s impartiality.